recipe: kimchi soup

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Having successfully made it through winter without a flu shot or the flu, I was taken aback by a head cold at the beginning of March. Sluggish and phlegmy, but not sick enough to stay home from work, I needed a cure - and fast. Immediately, I thought of a spicy kimchi soup I once tried at Seoul Garden in Korea town. Since I was sick, I didn't take the time to research traditional kimchi soups; rather, I based this version off ingredients already in my pantry/refrigerator. I was stunned with how well it turned out, and it certainly sped up my healing process. To boot, I liked it so much that I made a second batch, adding in some leftover pulled pork that I had frozen from my last supper club. What I've posted is the basic recipe, but feel free to add extra heat, protein or whatever else strikes your fancy.

Kimchi Soup

Prep: 5 minutes; Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 cups broth (of choice - I used a combo of chicken and vegetable)
  • 1 head *napa cabbage, roughly chopped (bite size)
  • 1/2 jar kimchi
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 jalapeno, small dice
  • 3 oz tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp ginger powder
  • 1/2 tbsp tumeric
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • salt (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Quickly heat tomato paste in the bottom of your soup pot, over medium heat. Add broth and turn to high heat.
  2. Add kimchi, lemon juice, napa cabbage and jalapeno.
  3. Once mixture is fully heated, add ginger powder, tumeric, paprika, salt and stir. (Adjust spices/salt to your personal taste, as needed.)
  4. Heat until stalks of napa cabbage are tender. Serve piping hot.

*Savoy or green cabbage will also work, if napa is not available at your grocery store. (You may notice, in my picture, that I used savoy cabbage, since I couldn't find napa for my second batch.)

supper club: february

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After a few months of hibernation, the supper club is back! And, according to attendees, better than ever. Inspired by a recent encounter with Chef Rick Bayless, I decided to throw a proper Mexican fiesta, complete with piñata. For the first course, I served ceviche. After much research, I hesitantly chose to use frozen fish: shrimp, calamari and scallops. While fresh fish would have been even better, the secret to my ceviche's success was slowly defrosting and "cooking" each type of fish for a different amount of time. The calamari (which was the toughest/most resilient) cooked for 2 1/2 hours in lime juice with thinly sliced red onion. I added the shrimp one hour and the delicate scallops thirty minutes before serving. In the Ecuadorian style, a sprinkle of corn nuts provided contrast in texture.

For the main course, I threw a 9 lb pork shoulder in a slow cooker the night before the party. Rubbed with cocoa powder, chipotle chile powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, dark brown sugar, salt and olive oil, it roasted for 18 hours until pull-apart tender. I served it with corn tortillas toasted in a cast iron pan, Mexican crema, guacamole and roasted tomatillo salsa.

Mole dry-rubbed pulled pork, 8 hours into cooking.

Mole dry-rubbed pulled pork, 8 hours into cooking.

The pork was accompanied by a few vegetarian sides. For the black bean pomegranate salad, I soaked black beans overnight and cooked them until tender (but not mushy). To that I added pomegranite seeds, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar.

My roommates help prepare the black bean salad.

My roommates help prepare the black bean salad.

The Mexican corn crema was everyone's favorite dish. A simpler version of on-the-cob street corn, it was a mix of frozen summer corn (roasted on a sheet pan until blackened), cotija cheese, crema, chile powder and lime.

For dessert, I dreamed up "mexican hot chocolate" pudding. Essentially, I doctored jello chocolate pudding with some spices. For liquid, I used a combination of organic whole milk and freshly-brewed espresso (about 4-parts milk to 1-part espresso). To intensify the flavor further, I added smoked cinnamon, chile powder and cocoa powder. When it came time to serve the pudding, I topped it with shaved dark chocolate, fleur de sel and candied orange rind.

But of all the dishes, the one I had the most fun making were the buñuelo wonton strips. I have little experience with deep frying, so was a bit intimidated by the process. The secret was not to overcrowd the pan, so that the oil remained hot, which makes for a less greasy end product. A quick dusting of cinnamon, sugar and chile powder made these simple treats extra-addictive.

After dessert came the climax of the evening: the breaking of the piñata. We swang at it a few times with a broom handle, but it was my friend David's move to opt for a copper pot that led to a (literal) break through.

Thanks to all who came to the supper club! Such a pleasure cooking for you.

Full Menu:

eater's digest: revel

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Photos by Lauren DeFilippo

At the "Center of the Universe" (Fremont, Seattle, WA), there lives an urban-style Korean restaurant called Revel. The epitome of an open kitchen, the space is both understatedly hip and remarkably calm. Fragrant, pungent plates slide across the oversized counter, a constant flow of culinary eyecandy for diners smart enough to snag a bar seat.

The brainchild of chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, 2013 James Beard Award semi-finalists, Revel is only one of the couple's local culinary projects. The nextdoor cocktail bar, Quoin, and Joule, an electic international spot in nearby Wallingford, are equally renown for Yang and Chirchi's fun, imaginative fare.

At Revel, this creativity is first apparent in the somewhat confusing menu, which the eager staff is happy to explain in detail. Even the bacon and eggs (the most straight-forward item on the brunch menu), were assertively different: dark, thick-cut bacon, grill-charred toast and scallion hash to swoon over.

Donut fans should sample the almost custard-y, crunch-crusted donuts, mysteriously bereft of grease. Vegetarian, spice-driven eaters will find their groove with the smoked chili and eggplant DanDan noodles, further improved with a dash or two of Revel's signature fish and soybean paste sauces.

Carnivores might consider the incredible short ribs, a heftier spin on bimimbap, but well worth the indulgence. And the wise will wash it all down with a super-spiced kimchi Bloody Mary or fuschia Hibiscus-Ginger soda.

Revel
403 N 36th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
206.547.2040